Each and every loss becomes an instance of ultimate tragedysomething that once was, but shall never be known to us. The hump of the giant deeras a nonfossilizable item of soft anatomyshould have fallen into the maw of erased history. But our ancestors provided a wondrous rescue, and we should rejoice mightily. Every new item can instruct us; every unexpected object possesses beauty for its own sake; every rescue from historys great shredding machine isand I dont know how else to say thisa holy act of salvation for a bit of totality.

In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
(1987) -- Carl Sagan